Because, It Just Is
by Tosa
Summary: Kakashi wants Kabuto to move in, but he won't. When he asks why, Kabuto simply answers, 'Because, it just is.' AU KakaKabu ONEshot


**Because, It's Just Like That**

**April**

"Because," Kabuto had said with a shrug. "It's just like that."

Kakashi pursed his lips, but alas he didn't refuse. The boy was already agreeing with the idea of the two of them being together, and that in itself was a pretty big step, circumstances considered. But _really_; that was the best reason he could come up with?

"So you won't move in with me," Kakashi said, slowly, "because it's_ just like that?_"

Kabuto nodded, shrugging again.

Kakashi chuckled – hell, he _laughed_ – and barked, "Oh? And just _what_, may I ask, is _just like that?_"

Kabuto blinked.

"Our relationship."

And he left it at that.

x

Kakashi wasn't one to pound his skull into a brick wall on a matter, but he'd make this one time an exception.

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Gai ran a hand through his hair, wincing when he realized how greasy it was. Damn; he'd have to make a note to buy a different shampoo. Or maybe it was the conditioner this time. "You look a little-"

"Crazed? You're damn straight I am!"

Pulling his pretty face away from the side of the school building and saving it further damage (bring on the cheerfully sobbing fan girls), he turned to glare at the great idiot.

The other boy frowned at him, prominent eyebrows furrowing.

"Don't take it out on _me_ just because your boyfriend won't shack up with you," he mumbled, stalking away.

Kakashi waited a few moments for the cocky after comment that was sure to come. When it didn't, he slowly drew himself away from the wall and-

"Because, considering the state you're in, I just can't imagine _why_ he'd refuse!"

Kakashi scowled and, rolling his eyes, headed off towards the western campus in search of indulgence. He could sort this out with some _real_ friends. He gave a final glance to his slim figure, well kept for his age, as he walked.

_Gut, meet junk food_.

x

"It's the price of dating a student." Anko shrugged, indifferent to the situation as she nabbed a plastic-wrapped pastry off the express counter. "Doesn't matter if he's a college student or in high school or even an elementary toddler – if he isn't ready, he isn't ready."

Kakashi scowled at the two of them. He'd asked for advice on the matter, but they still refused to change from the broken record lectures from when he'd first started. Was he _sure_ Kabuto was worth all this nagging?

A quick check to his priorities answered that question with a rather finalized _yes_.

"I agree with her completely. For once," Asuma added. He didn't really believe in these sorts of affairs, having a relationship with neither a student nor his teachers in his younger days (as Anko had the former way, though it wasn't his place to talk), but Kakashi needed advice, and as a friend he was willing to help. Even if he still felt his perverted colleague needed to be set straight.

"Besides. Kabuto's a bright kid. He has a lot to leave behind here, even if you are willing to pay up for another college."

"Yeah." Anko stared at him a long moment. "You certainly couldn't come back here after _that_."

Kakashi frowned, pausing a moment and holding up the rest of the hungry staff and students behind him. He hadn't thought about either of those possibilities. If they did come back, assuming this would be the case – and he hoped it would soon – the media would be all over them. Divulging student-teacher relations were like _sex_ to them. Especially in a high-ranking university such as this.

But _come on;_ Kabuto couldn't really like _Soaring Sounds_ that much, right? Even the name sounded preppy – and Kabuto wasn't really into that sort of thing. Okay, he was a bit snobbish at times. But he was smart, too, and he could get into another, maybe even bigger place with no problem.

Right?

x

"No, no, and no for the millionth time over."

"Aw, c'mon!" Kakashi ground out.

Kabuto wrinkled his nose at him. "Fuck off, Hatake!"

Great; he had provoked Kabuto a bit too far on this one (which was completely his fault, but let's ignore that) and he was now in one of his pissy moods.

Which meant he was even more disagreeable than usual.

Which meant he would probably be angry with Kakashi for quite a while, maybe even not show up for dinner and a "sleepover".

Which meant Kakashi was so _not_ getting lucky tonight.

Oh, right. The moving thing. That probably wouldn't happen anytime soon, either.

"But _Kabuto!_" he whined, only to succeed in getting himself nowhere still. In a huff, the bespectacled boy turned his back to him and started walking quickly (and stiffly – Kakashi couldn't help but notice how he straightened his back as if tied to a board) towards a deep throng of people, hoping to throw Kakashi off. They didn't talk about their relationship in public, and Kabuto was willing to risk the fact Kakashi might or might not ignore that little fact they were surrounded by just about the entire college as long as people were around. If he could get lost, then game over. Kakashi would become bored and he and Kabuto could go back to their ordinary, secrecy-sworn relationship.

Too bad he was forgetting how stubborn Kakashi could be. He'd have to be, to get his hands on the little silver-haired protégé.

"KABUTO!"

He winced as his name was shouted into the crowd. Darnit, Kakashi, people were _looking!_ Could the man _honestly_ be that dense?

Or did he just not care?

"I'm right here!" Kabuto hissed, shoving a short, freckly faced girl out of the way as he cleared a path to the handsome young teacher. "And do you _have_ to make a scene?"

"No, but you come so easily!" He waggled his eyebrows in a matter that made the young man want to gag; honestly, he wasn't some school girl. He wasn't about to blush at sex references in _public_.

"Well, what is it? I already told you, I don't _want_ to move in with you!"

"But you still refuse to tell me _why_."

"I don't want to!"

"_Why?!_"

"I just _don't_, dammit"

Kabuto bit his lip, feeling his face heat up. Why couldn't he understand? He wasn't about to lose what he had going here now, so why the hell did he have to push? He had the distinct feeling Kakashi was planning on wearing him down until he agreed, so he should probably just do so and avoid losing his hearing over the constant begging.

But he didn't _want_ to, dammit! He didn't want to, so he wouldn't! They were both so spoiled, so intense on winning neither was going to give up until the other crumbled! It was an endless cycle, one they would've experienced so many times before if Kabuto wasn't such a sucker for the older man.

But he wasn't feeling like a sucker today.

Kakashi stared at him, quiet as the other students resumed their activities and ran to catch up with their class schedules. Every-so-often, someone trying to catch up on reading and get to class at the same time would swerve, almost knocking into the quarrelling couple.

"Sorry, un," a blonde man (?) murmured, another, redheaded man grabbing him by the shoulders and steering him off in the opposite direction.

Kakashi lowered his voice, making it soft in an attempt to soothe the boy.

"Kabuto."

He looked up, jaw firmly set. He relaxed it slightly when he caught the calm, cool expression in his teacher's eyes.

Hesitantly glancing to the side, he answered, "…Yes?"

"Last time, you said you wouldn't because it was 'just like that'. But please clarify," Kakashi smirked, "as I have never, in all my years of teaching the Japanese language, come across a phrase so vague I couldn't decode it."

Kabuto frowned. Big words. Kakashi must mean business. Not to say he wasn't intelligent; he just liked to keep things simple. One of the things he liked about him.

"What we have here," he stated quietly. "I like it the way it is."

Kakashi blinked, remembering what Asuma had said about having things – and people, come to think of it, though Kabuto didn't have any _close_ close friends aside from Kakashi himself – to leave behind. Kakashi chose to ignore this revelation in terms of a different route. He wanted answers, and he was sure as hell getting some.

"You like _us…_ As in, our relationship, yet you refuse to take it a step higher?"

Kabuto scowled at him. "You know what I mean!"

"No, I don't."

The genuinely confused expression he gave Kabuto then caught him utterly off guard; dammit, he had thought Kakashi was just messing with him! After all, the graying man was always playing some sort of mind game. He didn't expect him to actually be _serious_.

"You see," Kabuto murmured, lowering his gaze a bit. "I like… _this_. And living with someone means spending nearly twenty-four hours a day with them, especially if you both work – er – go to the same school everyday!"

"So… you're saying I'm a pain to be around?"

The lower-lip quiver was a bit much, but it worked. Kabuto put his hands up defensively, shaking his head so rapidly his ponytail smacked him in the face a couple of times. He didn't seem to notice, or at least didn't care.

"It's not that. But say…" he bit his lip a moment, trying to find the right wording before shakily continuing, "you live with me for a while… and decide you can't live with me."

It clicked. Kakashi stared at him, face unreadable.

"You're… afraid I'll leave you?"

Kabuto nodded feebly. "I know it's ridiculous, but-"

"_Ridiculous?_ Ha!" Kakashi beamed at him uncharacteristically. "And you say _I_ overreact."

Kabuto's brow furrowed. "What the hell do you mean? It's perfectly rational to fear-"

His back went rigid as Kakashi pulled him into an embrace.

"Move in with me," he mumbled into his lover's hair, "And I promise no such thing will happen."

Kabuto didn't like losing. But he didn't like refusing Kakashi or seeing the spoiled rotten brat (though he was older, so he couldn't use _brat_, per say, but you get the point) not get his way. To be truthful, he loved him.

"Give me some time," Kabuto grumbled into Kakashi's arm. "To think it over."

x

**June**

Kakashi surveyed the apartment, whistling as Kabuto lugged another box inside. He smirked at the shorter man tauntingly, barring his way.

"Jeez. You want me to bring in the entire UPS storage hold, too, or should I?"

"Can it," Kabuto growled, pushing past him to march (not walk, _march_) up the stairs. Despite himself, a smile tugged at his lips.

Wielding a much smaller box, Kakashi slipped in ahead of him when they reached the landing. He paused at the door, making Kabuto struggle to keep his large luggage in place.

"C-crap!"

The box landed with a hearty _thud_, making Kabuto jump back with a wince. Kakashi remained still.

"So," he said casually, despite the disruption. "What made you finally say yes, anyway?"

Kabuto ignored the question, leaning over to pick up the box while simultaneously shoving his boyfriend through the door.

"Oh," he said with a smirk. "Just because."

**The End**

* * *

Short and sweet, because I have yet to write for this couple, despite my support. :P Though if that's the case, I better get my ass in gear and write some SasuNaru. Or SasoDei. 


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